‘It antagonizes Canadians’: Alberta Premier Smith frustrated with Trump’s continued ’51st State’ comments

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith expressed her frustration with U.S. President Donald Trump Saturday, calling his continued “51st State” comments antagonizing and harmful to Canadian-U.S. relations.

She made the comments on the bi-weekly show Your Province, Your Premier, when a caller asked about Trump’s continued rhetoric as he’s set to arrive in Alberta for the upcoming G7 conference scheduled from June 15 to 17.

“I’m so frustrated that what sounded like it started off as a joke continues to be talked about six months later,” she said.

“I’ve expressed my disappointment to the U.S. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra, and I’ve said that it’s going to be very difficult for us to normalize relationships with the U.S. and get on to talking about the Canada-U.S. free trade agreement renegotiation if this threat keeps hanging over our heads.”

Trump said Tuesday that it would cost Canada $61 billion to join his missile defence plan dubbed the “Golden Dome,” while stating it would be free if Canada became “our cherished 51st State.”

He also claimed that Canada was considering the offer; however, Prime Minister Mark Carney’s office said it was made clear that “Canada is an independent, sovereign nation, and it will remain one.”

Trump’s comments came a few hours after King Charles opened Parliament by delivering a throne speech aimed at unifying Canada and reasserting its sovereignty.

The throne speech follows months of the U.S. President calling for Canada’s annexation and deploying tariffs against U.S. allies.

Smith was also asked if Trump should be considered a terrorist and denied entry to Alberta. She said she shares the frustration, but acknowledges Trump is a world leader.

“It’s just, it antagonizes Canadians. It antagonizes Albertans. It makes people less, more reluctant to engage, I think, with the U.S. in a trade relationship, and it’s not good for either of our countries,” she said.

“But he is a world leader … probably the most important one, and I think we should be supportive of the G7 being here.”

Her comments come as she and members of her caucus have been visiting the U.S. to build stronger trade relations and to promote Alberta’s energy sector, and they are set to do just that in Washington on Monday.

She also visited Trump at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida in early January to appeal to him and other American lawmakers amid his tariff threats at the time. She was also going to appear at his inauguration during a stint in Washington, but was unable to after it was moved indoors.

Meanwhile, Canada will host leaders from the U.S., France, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom and Italy, as well as the European Union, at the G7 meeting scheduled from June 15 to 17.

Other leaders from countries outside the G7 invited to attend include Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

With files from The Canadian Press